File sharing site was actually a sting operation setup to entrap users.

Filesharing site revealed to be anti-piracy ‘honeypot’.

A high-profile file-sharing site has been revealed to be a year-long pirate "honeypot", collecting data on users, file hosters and websites.

The revelation, which had users of the forum up in arms, accompanied the purchase of the UploaderTalk (UT) site by US-based anti-piracy company Nuke Piracy.

A honeypot is a facility, in this case a site, run under false pretences that encourages criminal behaviour in an effort to collect incriminating data.

“That's right – the biggest swerve ever,” the operator of UT, known only as WDF, said in a statement about the purchase of the site. “I, WDF, work for the anti-piracy people!”

Well, isnt that special?

Funny thing is, you dont really hear much about file sharing prosecutions.

Seems like it was plastered all over the news a few years ago.

These days, not so much. Or maybe they've just changed their tactics and are staying quiet about it, hmmm.

Wonder how many other fake sites are out there?

And this is why I love streaming media
no downloading, no getting miffed that there are 2 seeders and 7500 leeches...no running out of HD space

Wonder how many other fake sites are out there?

Probably more that we will ever realize.

its actually called a GATEKEEPERS BOX.

thank u

ur friendly neibourhood webman,,,

reply to post by gladtobehere

High-profile filesharing site UploaderTalk was found to be an anti-piracy honeypot

May I ask whats with the anti-piracy scare tactic of using an image that shows Pirate bay?

Where did you get that image? Just curious as the article is about Uploadertalk.

And Piratebay is just about the largest most secure piracy site, often fighting off legal threats by foreign governments.

So why use them in your Op to inderectly link them to this sting?

I think the only reason we don't hear more about it is how they operate. They send you a letter, often times, saying.....

'Hiya! You're Busted! Now pay us $xxxx.xx per recorded offense or we'll add a few zeros to that for court!'

My neighbor is a little hard headed on things and just changed service providers when he got his letter last year. He's gotten 2 more since, advising him the ISP has been contacted for an official request to get his name matched to IP. (he never did stop I guess..)

As someone who writes little apps for spare cash here and there, I can see the issues ..to a point. I think it's mean spirited and cruel to go after the individual people who may download a few things for personal use, though. Pirating isn't right..and it will infuriate me when I see my first pirated app (as in, really MINE...up on a P2P server)..but I still wouldn't consider doing anything to an individual person, but maybe drop a nasty note.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


".but I still wouldn't consider doing anything to an individual person, but maybe drop a nasty note. ",,ok said Bill,,how about we just rent it too people,, instead of making them buy it?,,,,

ya thats fine,, said "Woz".,,,
ahhh the old days,,

reply to post by BobAthome


Renting software sounds like an outstanding idea to me! I've really enjoyed Gametap, for instance. A low flat rate opens hundreds of games and plenty in the "almost" new release category. Adobe largely solved it's problem by cloud registration ..and OH was that ever a favor, too. Thousands of dollars (retail) to get the Master Suite became a small monthly fee instead...with updates to the next versions included. That alone was a big deal..

Ditto MS Office. $10 a month I can dump for December and the Summer months beats the $100 a year. Not by a whole lot ...but still? I come out ahead.

So I agree entirely if you're suggesting there are better ways than the old ways of selling software to break the people buying it. Slowly but surely, it's changing on that.

High profile?

who is it?

never heard of it.. guess they caught the big fishez...

ohno, td lookout

Bit like having a guy with a dirty coat stand on a street corner not being an undercover copper. Carl crackhead is gunna say hi, but barry big time will just walk on by shaking his head..

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


so u have read the rental agreement then,,, and people bitch about the NSA,, ,,,lol. ok.

i thought that software should have always been,, the property of the Purchaser.

said property once perchased, legally, becomes the users property,,,and is not rented.

but thats where free ware came too be.
whick allowed individuals from all Countries too colaberate on Scripting and Code,,
which is were we got our awsome games,,,cause hardware could not keep up too ,,script kiddies or apps makers as they are now called.
my point is when it was free it flurashes,,now its just another advertising box.

Just makes you wonder what some sites have you actually doing...

Seti@home - your machine is doing lots of number crunching, of what you have no idea.

Bitcoins - same thing, only you get a reward every now and then.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Yeah go all subscribe to these online cloud service they are all safe
www.latimes.com...

reply to post by Dolby_X


We each handle our business and working life in different ways. I have far far too much to lose, professionally, to get screwed up over some penny ante piracy issue when I really NEED the full, proper versions anyway. Updates..support and the peripheral services that come with Adobe or MS Office, for example, are worth more than the monthly rates, for just that.

MS for example, allows the embedding of 100% fully functional files out of Excel and other parts of the Suite in a website. After working for nearly a year to find a solution to that issue without a Sharepoint server? I'm MORE than happy to pay their $10/month for Office ...JUST for that embed ability.

So, it definitely varies for how people see it and what we each do for how much it matters I suppose.